Conflict management style
Encyclopedia
A conflict management style is the pattern
of behaviour an individual
develops in response to conflict with others such as differences of opinion. Conflict management styles tend to be consistent over time.
Conflict management is the skill needed to resolve different situations.
, or conflict transformation (there is a lack of consensus in naming convention) has since the 1970s sought to teach people to be more conscious of their conflict management style. The premise behind this is that greater awareness of their style by individuals enables them to make better choices of how to respond. Someone who knows they have a tendency to avoid conflict, for example, might in some circumstances choose a different and perhaps more appropriate response.
for this is a conflict style inventory
, typically a short questionnaire
filled out by a user, with interpretation of the scores given in writing or by an instructor. The point is not to categorize the user, but rather to give him or her a framework in which to assess responses and options. Conflict style inventories in wide use today include the
Thomas Kilmann and Style Matters: The Kraybill Conflict Style Inventory
Pattern
A pattern, from the French patron, is a type of theme of recurring events or objects, sometimes referred to as elements of a set of objects.These elements repeat in a predictable manner...
of behaviour an individual
Individual
An individual is a person or any specific object or thing in a collection. Individuality is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs, goals, and desires. Being self expressive...
develops in response to conflict with others such as differences of opinion. Conflict management styles tend to be consistent over time.
Conflict management is the skill needed to resolve different situations.
Development
The field of conflict management, conflict resolutionConflict resolution
Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...
, or conflict transformation (there is a lack of consensus in naming convention) has since the 1970s sought to teach people to be more conscious of their conflict management style. The premise behind this is that greater awareness of their style by individuals enables them to make better choices of how to respond. Someone who knows they have a tendency to avoid conflict, for example, might in some circumstances choose a different and perhaps more appropriate response.
Application
The most widely used toolTool
A tool is a device that can be used to produce an item or achieve a task, but that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such...
for this is a conflict style inventory
Inventory
Inventory means a list compiled for some formal purpose, such as the details of an estate going to probate, or the contents of a house let furnished. This remains the prime meaning in British English...
, typically a short questionnaire
Questionnaire
A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Although they are often designed for statistical analysis of the responses, this is not always the case...
filled out by a user, with interpretation of the scores given in writing or by an instructor. The point is not to categorize the user, but rather to give him or her a framework in which to assess responses and options. Conflict style inventories in wide use today include the
Thomas Kilmann and Style Matters: The Kraybill Conflict Style Inventory
- Conflict Style InventoryConflict style inventoryA conflict style inventory is a written tool for gaining insight into how people respond to conflict. Typically, a user answers a set of questions about their responses to conflict and is scored accordingly....
- Conflict ResolutionConflict resolutionConflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...